Reunited and It Feels So Bad
by Colossal Titan's Hoe
Summary: *5 years after SK* I had locked all the windows. That left me with only two choices: Kill him, or be killed. I honestly preferred the latter, but I wouldn't do that to my family. WARNING: Very sad D': T for launguge.
1. Heartache and My Heart

**Hello, people! This is after Shadow Kiss. Rose never went to kill Dimitri and this is, like, 5 years after he was turned. Kiss Cam, All Is Death in Love And War, Butterfly Fly Away, and Prom: VA Style never happened. The first chapter circulates mostly around Aqua and Dimitri seeing each other and then the after effects. This is kind of sad. If I get enough reviews, it will be longer than 1 or 2 chapters. Okay, then, GET READING!  
Disclaimer: I don't own VA. Vampire Academy or Virginia.**

**Inspiration:  
Happiness by Alexis Jordan****  
****Somebody to Love by Justin Bieber  
Bring Me To Life by Evanescence  
Let's Just Fall In Love Again by Jason Castro  
Rock Bottom by Eminem  
Half of My Heart by John Mayer  
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole**

Heartache and My Heart

**Aqua POV**

I walked down the streets of Baia, alone like it's been for almost 5 years. Sure, sometimes Frankie comes along, but usually not. My hair hung loose, some of the shorter strands in the front getting blown in my face as I looked down at my tennis shoes. Yes, I said _tennis shoes_. I don't dress as... perky as I use to, and I had stopped with the blue tinted blond streaks. I had also started flat ironing my hair. The only people I ever see any more are Olena, Vikki, Oksana, for spirit practices, Paul, the rest of my family, including Yeva, and then Rose and Lissa. Adrian visits every once and a while to practice and make sure we were okay. Me and Alex split up shortly after Dimitri was turned and I fell into depression, which was just backed up by spirit. I started cutting and blocking out Alex through the bond we still had. Blocks were constantly up, me just not wanting to feel him. Sure, it's been hard on Frankie, but Alex, I guess, didn't want her to grow up with a depressed mother. I don't know. Maybe he lost the fireworks. I sure didn't.

Suddenly, cold arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me back into an ally. Strigoi. God, it's been ages since I've killed one, but I always kept a stake on me. I grabbed the person's head and pulled forward, flipping them over my shoulder. When I saw the shoulder length brown hair, the same color as mine, I started backing away.

"No," I whispered. The Strigoi got up and looked at me with hatred on his face. Dimitri's face. No, no, no, no, no! This was _not_ happening. The second he saw that it was me, his face softened and he took a step toward me. I took another step back.

"Aqua?" he said.

"Get away," I said. He took another step forward. I took two steps back.

"I won't hurt you," he said. "I probably wouldn't even be able to lay a hand on you before you staked me."

"Damn right," I said. "But I'm serious, Dimitri, get away." I put venom and anger in my voice, though I missed him and just wanted to hug him.

"Why?"

"Because of the crap that happened since you left. Because I can't stand to see you like this," I said.

"What do you-" He glanced at my left hand. No ring there. "What happened when I left?"

"Well, first me and Alex got a divorce, then I went into depression, then Rose went down with me, followed by Lissa, and then Christian left Lissa. Now I'm living in Baia with Olena and so do Rose and Lissa," I said. He stared at me in disbelief. "And Alex has custody of Frankie. I was, apparently, unfit to mother her."

"Why would they think that?"

"Because of these." I held up my wrists. He gasped at the little pink lines decorating them. "Yeah. Now go, Dimitri, before anyone sees you." _Or before I have to kill you, _I added sorrowfully in my head.

"Aqua... I'm so sorry. About everything. I wish I could do something about it," he said. I shook my head and turned my back to him.

"You can't," I murmured over my shoulder and took off full speed toward home. I could hear him following at the same speed, so I kick my short legs harder. When I got home, no one was there. I locked the doors and windows in a flash, even though that wouldn't stop a Strigoi. When I got the last door locked, I leaned my back on it and slid down it, letting the pent up tears flow down my cheeks and the painful sobs to come out. My bond blocks crumpled up like tissue paper. I didn't care, though.

_Aqua! What's wrong! Are you hurt? _I heard Alex screaming in my head.

_Get out, Alex!_

_No, not until you tell me what's up!_

_Why should I?_

_Because I love you! _I froze.

_Get out of my God damned head and don't come back, _I said coldly, putting my blocks back up and sinking deeper into the depression like a rock in water. I could faintly hear Dimitri outside over my sobs. I hugged my legs to my chest and leaned against the door, knowing it was only thing keeping me from falling over head first onto the hard wood. I heard a breaking sound, like wood, and looked over at where it came from. Dimitri had kicked in the back door. As soon as he saw me, he was sitting next to me. I screamed and went upstairs. He, of course, followed.

"Aqua! Please, stop!" he screamed after me.

"No," I screamed back, then realizing I had no way out. I had locked all the windows. That left me with only two choices: Kill him, or be killed. I honestly preferred the latter, but I wouldn't do that to my family, who were still grieving over Dimitri's awakening. So I pretty much set my hands on fire.

"Come any closer and you're toast," I said. "-ed" I just had to add the ending. Dimitri smiled, flashing his fangs. My hands got brighter.

"Vody **(I realized I had been putting the wrong thing the entire time. Do forgive me for that mess up. Voda is Aqua and Vody is Water)**, put the flames down. Well, put them out, not down," he said.

"Yeah, I don't think so," I said. He took a step forward. I threw fire at him. He dodged it by inches. I put the flame out before it hit the floor.

"Please, Aqua. Please," Dimitri begged. I heard someone come in through the front door. Then gasps.

"Aqua, where are you?" Olena called through the house.

"Jeeze, what happened?" I heard Rose say.

"You don't think..." Lissa trailed off.

"Oh, no." They came running up the steps and saw me, arms on fire, with someone in front of me. They, of course, couldn't see his face since Dimitri had his back to them. But I think they knew. I would have killed any other Strigoi already, but I was hesitant with Dimitri.

"Dimitri?" Rose asked in a choked whisper. He stiffened and turned to face her.

"Roza," he said. "I-I..." He didn't finish. He turned to a window and punched it out and jumped out of it. I looked out of the round window to see him already running away.

"What the fucking hell?" Rose screamed. "Am I insane?" I giggled, but it ended in a sob. We went into my room and sat on my bed, leaning our back against the headboard. We all broke down then, sobbing until there was no other sound any of us could hear but our sobs. We all held each other. It's almost surprising how much all 3 of us have changed. When Alex filed a divorce, I started getting more... my age. I stopped dressing really nice and girly every day unless it was a special occasion and then stopped dying and cutting my hair. It now flowed to my mid back and was solid brown. Rose stopped being, well, Rose. No sarcasm, no talking back, she completed all of her work, and she stopped annoying Stan, which, I have to say, I think he missed. I think we all missed the old Rose. Lissa's hair got darker, now a dark yellow color. Not unattractive, but her old color was better. Her green eyes were dulled and she, like I do, cuts herself. Rose does the same. We just need some way of releasing the pent up emotion and depression we share. I'm able to hide them from Olena, but I think she knows. I heal most of them, but then there's the darkness, which makes me want to cut myself again.

"Can... you... guys... sleep... with me... tonight?" I asked around my sobs. They nodded. "You guys are the best friends ever. Don't leave me." They hugged me and I hugged them back. I looked at their faces and laughed. There was tears and snot everywhere.

"What?" Rose asked.

"You guys look a mess," I said.

"And you look any better?" she asked. We started laughing. Okay, so, we have all gone insane, but this little moment of complete insanity was a light in the darkness.

"You know what we should watch?" Lissa asked.

"What?" I asked, pushing hair out of my face.

"Achmed the Dead Terrorist on DVD," she said. I smiled hugely and hopped out of bed, getting the DVD and popping it in. His first act came on.

"Silence! I kill you!" I laughed. We loved to watch this. No matter how many times you watch it, it's always funny. "Did you know when you're driving down the highway in a Prius and you stick your hand out the window, the vehicle will tuuuurrrrn?" was my favorite quote. Then it was "Holy crap! Wait, I can have Clay Aiken!" Or maybe, "They open the suitcase and I go 'Ellooooooo! I am Lindsey Lohaaaan!'" We just can't get enough out of Achmed. We eventually fell asleep while Achmed was singing "Jingle Bombs". I woke up the next morning with my head on Rose's stomach and Lissa's head on my stomach. I smiled. Then I heard the yawn in the next room. Oh shit, I really don't want to have to explain to True how her daddy was here yesterday. I knew we would all end up dropping our emotional seals and breaking down crying. We loved True and didn't want to let her see us crying. But she saw sometimes. She was older than her age, just like her parents, though I think she got most of it from Dimitri. I sighed and moved Lissa's head gently onto the bed. I got up and went into the next room, True's room. She was sitting up on her bed, her blackish brown wavy hair a mess on her head. I smiled sadly at her.

"Hey, kido," I said.

"Hi, Auntie," she said. "Why were you crying last night?" I took a deep breath and sat on her bed.

"Honey, your daddy came to the house yesterday," I said sadly. She stared at me like I had 3 eyes.

"But daddy's a Strigoi, isn't he?" she said.

"Yes, he is," I said.

"You were sad to see him again," she stated. I nodded and a tear escaped the corner of my eye. She wiped the tear away and hugged me. I hugged her back and buried my face in her hair.

"Are you sure you're 4?" I asked. She giggled and pulled back.

"Will you be okay?"

"I think so. Wanna help me wake up mommy and Lissa?" She smiled and nodded. I took her hand and we snuck quietly back into the other room, carrying blow horns. I hadn't had this much fun in years. I put my blow horn next to Lissa's head and True put hers next to Rose's.

"Go!" I whispered and we pushed the buttons in sync. Rose and Lissa screamed and jumped, falling off the bed. Me and True fell down laughing until tears rolled down out faces.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Rose said. She took one of the blow horns and put it by our ears. She pushed the button and we screamed at how loud it was. I jumped at Rose and put her in a head lock. She fought back, but I kept her down. Lissa was impersonating a ref.

"One, two, three, four, five! DING DING DING! And the winner is, Aqua!" I laughed and jumped off of Rose, doing a victory dance. Lissa went over to my drawers and got out one of my belts and handed it to me.

"Great," I said and hooked it around my torso like a wrestling belt. "I am _so_ wearing a skirt today. With our first fun morning in, what? 5 years? Yeah, this calls for some sort of recognition."

"Agreed," Lissa said. They went to their rooms to get dressed. I got out a super short skirt and some pink leggings and a pink tank top and got dressed. I went downstairs to see Rose, Lissa, True, Olena, Viktoria, and Karolina eating breakfast.

"Morning, guys," I said. Olena gave me a plate of pancakes. "Thanks." I sat down and dug in. There was a knock on the door I peeked over the mental block in the bond I had up and saw that it was, indeed, Alex and Frankie. "Damnit." Olena opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw Alex standing there. I swear he got taller, if that's even possible. Why am I the only one not growing?

"Hello, Alex. Um, can I help you?" Olena asked.

"I was just checking to see that Aqua was okay. When I felt her pain through the bond yesterday, I got worried," he said, glancing at me and then back at Olena.

"Oh, well, she's fine. It was just the past," Olena said. That, my dear aunt, is a huge understatement.

"Thank you. Well, I think Frankie wants to stay here for a while," he said. She had a book bag on her back and was smiling brightly at me, flashing her fangs. I smiled back and walked up to the door.

"That's nice of you," I said awkwardly, not willing to meet Alex's beautiful green eyes. I was still pissed at him. Frankie let go of Alex's hand and hugged my legs.

"Hi mama," she said as I picked her up. I kissed her soft cheek.

"Hey munchkin," I said. She laid her head on my shoulder.

"Um, Frankie, can I have mommy for a second?" Alex asked. Frankie nodded. I put her down and she ran to the living room. I looked at Alex weird, but followed him outside, nonetheless.

"What?" I asked.

"You damn well know what," he said, pushing my against a wall by my shoulders. "What the hell was up last night? You nearly gave me a panic attack."

"It's none of your business," I muttered, closing my eyes so the tears wouldn't slip out.

"Aqua, look at me," he said. My eyes staying closed. "Posmotrite na menya, Aqua (Look at me, Aqua)," he repeated in Russian. "Aquamarine Belicov, damnit, look at me." I reluctantly opened my eyes and looked at the ground. He let my shoulders go and put his massive hands on either side on my face, forcing me to look into the eyes that I was still so in love with. "Pozhaluĭsta, skazhite mne (Please tell me)." I took a deep breath.

"Dimitri," I whispered, a tear falling out of the corner of my eye.

"You saw him?" he asked. I nodded and he pulled me into a hug. I leaned my head on his chest. "Oh, my God, Aqua, I'm sorry."

"Alex..." I said. "I love you, too."

"What?"

"You said you loved me yesterday. I'm saying I love you, too," I said. He pulled back to look at me.

"Thank you." He leaned down and kissed me. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. I heard cheers from the door and giggled.

"Eavesdroppers," I said breathlessly. Alex chuckled and kissed my nose. Then he pulled back and took my hands. He looked at my wrists and his face got worried and loving and so many other things.

"Aqua, you need to stop doing this," he said, holding up my wrists. I looked down.

"I know, but I had no way of getting rid of my darkness. This helped at the smallest," I said, taking back my hands. I saw Alex suck the darkness into his aura. He started looking irritated over nothing. Just spirit's side effects.

"There," he said in a strained voice. I knew he was fighting the darkness as best he could. I kissed him and his body relaxed.

"Thank you," I said when we pulled back. He smiled and took my hand. We walked back to the house.

"So, you're back together?" Rose asked.

"No, Rose. I was kissing him because I wanted to stay divorced," I said, heavy on the sarcasm. "Of course we're effing back together." Frankie, Lissa, Vikki, Rose, and Karolina started jumping up and down and yaying.

"Reunited and it feels so good!" Lissa and Rose sung. I rolled my eyes.

"Want something to eat?" Olena asked Alex.

"Yes, please," he said. Olena fixed him a batch of pancakes. "Thanks." I sat on the couch to finish mine and Alex sat on the floor between my legs. He leaned his head on my knee. I ran a hand through his soft brown hair.

"You know Ash is worried sick about you," he said when we had finished our food.

"Then why doesn't she just call me? My number's the same," I said.

"She thinks you'll be even worse than when you left with the depression and spirit and everything. Sure, it was true, but she probably should have called," he said.

"No it's my fault. I didn't call her, either, and I didn't even give her a chance to come to Russia with us. That's not how best friends treat each other," I said sadly. Alex grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"We all make mistakes," he said, kissing the cuts on my wrists. "I did." I kissed his head. Then I remembered the gaping hole in the back door.

"Um, anyone know anything about fixing a door?" I asked. Alex chuckled and nodded.

"I do. I'll just need to stop at Home Depot." He stood up and kissed Frankie's and my forehead. "Be right back." He left.

"So, when are you getting remarried?" Vikki asked.

"Vik, slow down. We _just_ got back together. Sure, we're getting remarried, but we have to let this sink in. And to tell people that _don't_ live here," I said. "That reminds me, where's Yeva?"

"She's in the attic, I think," Karolina said. I nodded and went up there. She use to take us up here and tell us old stories and stuff. She was, of course, sitting up there on her rocking chair with a big smile on her face.

"Congratulations," she said when I came up.

"How'd you- A dream?" I asked. She nodded and stood up. She hugged me. She may be criptic at times, but she's also loving 24/7.

"Vse budet horosho (Everything will work out)," she murmured. I smiled.

"YA nadyeyusʹ na eto (I hope so)," I said back, squeezing her. She squeezed back and then pulled back.

"You made a beautiful bride once, you'll make a beautiful bride again," she said, wiping hair out of my face.

"Thanks, Babushka," I said. We went downstairs. Alex was already back, working on the door.

"That was fast," I said. "Not that I'm complaining." I kissed his forehead and went to sit on the couch. Rose and Lissa were gone now. "You people need to stop disappearing," I said.

"They're upstairs," Olena said. I sighed and got up to see what they were doing. They were in Lissa's room, calling someone.

"Please, Christian," Lissa said. Oh, crap.

"Guys, what the-" I started.

"Shh," Rose interrupted me.

"Christian, I honestly don't know why you left me," Lissa said. "And you thought I would ever do that to you?" She was now pissed. "Christian, I would never do that." I knew Christian and for him to believe gossip was so not like him. "Christian, you have to believe me." He said something. "Ask Rose. She knows everything I do. She can tell you that I would never cheat on you."

"She seriously wouldn't, Fireboy. She's in dead set love with you, and it sickens me," Rose said. I laughed at her.

"But, Christian, this is so not like you," I said loud enough for him to hear. "Who told you Lissa cheated?" Lissa put the phone on speaker phone.

"Eddie," he said. "That's why I believed it."

"Why would Eddie-" Then I got it. We all figured it out and looked at each other.

"Compulsion," we said in unison.

"Who would want to break you two up?" Rose mused.

"Jesse and Ralf are major candidates. They're dick heads and would do it just to annoy Rose. Plus, you wouldn't join their little club thing," I said.

"Maybe. I can't think of anyone else," he said.

"I last heard that they live in England," I said. "Together."

"Oh, dude, that's wrong," Christian said.

"I knew he was gay!" Rose said.

"Didn't we all?" Lissa said. "And to think we use to think he was cute."

"What were we thinking?" Rose agreed. I laughed.

"Yo, Chrissie, Lissa didn't cheat on you," I said. "Who'd he even say she cheated on you with?"

"Jesse and Ralf, which I now know is not even possible," he said.

"Now, why the hell would she go with them? They're ugly, dinky-dicked, losers," I said. Everyone laughed at the "dinky-dick" part.

"Good point. Liss, I'm sorry," he said.

"Where are you even living now?" she asked.

"India," he said.

"Okay, I'll bite. Why the hell are you there?" I asked.

"I don't know. Just wanted to go to Bollywood," he said.

"Do you even talk Hindi?" I asked.

"Maiṁ bilkula nahīṁ hai (Of course I do)," he said.

"Just checking," I said.

"Can you please come up here? To Baia?" Lissa asked.

"I don't know, I'll have to think about it. Yes," he said. We cheered. Well, Rose didn't.

"Come on, Rose. Lighten up. You have someone else to annoy other than me," I said. She punched me. I punched her back harder.

"Ow! Okay, okay, I give," she said.

"Look who's going back to her old self," Lissa said. "Now go get me the kitchen shears." I clutched my hair protectively.

"No thanks. I think I'll get it done at a hair salon," I said.

"What's wrong with her hair?" Christian asked. "Lice?" I rolled my eyes.

"No, Captain DoDo. I let it grow out," I said.

"Oh. Last I saw, it was at your shoulder blades and you started flat ironing it," he said. "Where's it now?"

"Mid-back," I said.

"Jeeze, I've been away way too long," he said. "I'll leave sometime this week, 'kay?"

"'Kay," Lissa said. "Are we back together?"

"Yeah," he said. "If you want to be."

"Of course I want to!" Lissa said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which, really, it was. "Why would I ask if I didn't?"

"Okay, okay, just being polite," he said and I could hear the eye roll in his voice.

"See you when you get here," Lissa said.

"See you guys," he said.

"See you soon, Chrissie," I said.

"Better be ready for the beat down I'm giving you when you get here, Fireboy" Rose said. I laughed.

"Then you better get ready for the burns," Christian retorted and hung up.

"So, Christian and Lissa are together. Why can't you just give Adrian a chance?" I asked Rose. She shrugged.

"Doesn't seem like my type," she muttered.

"Rose, you have to lower your standards. Every guy you meet can't be a tall Russian Guardian with brown hair and brown eyes," I said.

"I know that," she said. "But my standards are still set high."

"Rose, you're surrounded by love now. You need someone to love," Lissa said.

"You just need somebody to loooooooove. You, you, you don't need too much, just somebody to love," I sung. They laughed at me. "Don't act like you two weren't thinking about the same thing when Lissa said that," I said. They nodded.

"Aqua, can I see you for a second?" Alex asked, peeking his head in the door.

"Sure, babe," I said, kissing Rose and Lissa's cheeks and getting up to go into the hall. Alex took my hand and took me downstairs. The door was mostly fixed, only needing a couple screws.

"I'm out of screws. Could you weld that?" he asked. I nodded and he picked me up so I could reach the top. I heated my fingers, them turning a bright red, and squished the sides of the hinge down and molding it into the wall. I did the same for the other empty holes. Alex put me down. "Thanks."

"No problem. Come on," I said, taking his hand and taking him out back. There was True's swing set back there. Alex sat on one and I sat on his lap and leaned into him.

"I love you," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I love you, too. More than you could imagine," I said. He kissed up and down my neck. It was sunset and the sky was pink at the sun and then turned purple and then blue as it went farther out. The sun soon went down, leaving the sky an almost black blue. The moon was full tonight and shined in the cloudless night.

"Come on. Let's go inside," he said, getting ready to move me off his lap but I stopped him.

"Wait, I want to see something." I help my thumb up toward the sky, seeing if the moon was bigger than it. Nope.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"No matter where you are in the world, no matter what time it is, the moon is never any bigger than your thumb," I said. **(A/N: If you have seen Dear John, which, BTW, made me cry, you know that is from it.)**

"Well, technically," Alex started.

"Yes, yes, yes," I interrupted him. "I know the moon is over 4000 times bigger than me, Mr. Technicality." He laughed and kissed my cheek. I grabbed his hand and held his thumb up to align with the moon. The moon was smaller than it. "Yup, still smaller." He sighed and picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder. "Put me down!" I screamed.

"Nope," he laughed.

"Now, Alexander!" I yelled at him.

"Nuh-uh," he said disobediently.

"What, are you, like, 6 now?" I asked.

"Maybe," he said.

"At least the view's good," I said, slapping his ass. He yelped.

"So is the one up here," he said and slapped my ass. I screamed and accidently kicked my foot, kicking him in the head. "Ouch! Sorry, jeez." He put me down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Reflexes, what are you gonna do about 'em?" I said and kissed his forehead.

"When was the last time you fed?" he asked, cupping my cheek and rubbing the dark circle under my eye with his thumb.

"I don't know," I said. "A while ago."

"I'll take you to see a feeder tomorrow for breakfast, okay?" he said. I nodded. That was originally where I was going when I saw Dimitri, but that didn't work out so well. Alex picked me back up like a toddler and carried me up to my- I mean our room where Frankie was already laying down asleep.

"Did you lock the door?" I whispered.

"No, sorry. I'll go lock it," he said.

"No, go to bed, I'll lock it," I said. He nodded and went into his suit case that he had apparently had the time to get when he went to get the stuff from Home Depot. I went downstairs and toward the back.

And then I froze.

Not again.

**Okay, not much of a cliffy there. It's pretty obvious who it was. No duh. But for those of you who are kind of slow, I won't ruin it for you. Okay, so, I know this is a very, very long chapter, but I got carried away. Isn't that sort of a good thing so you have more to read? You have to have read my other VA stories to know that Aqua use to have short curly brown hair with blue tinted blond highlights and is 4'10" and is, in this story, 26. She usually acts childlike, but is serious when it comes to her daughter and friends and family. But, as you can see, she started growing out of it when Dimka got turned and she went into depression. She hasn't cut her hair in 5 years, so it is longer, as stated, and it is now solid brown. Her eyes are the same color as Christian's. When Rose and Lissa were first brought back to the Academy, Aqua moved there to spend time with Dimitri, who is her cousin. She became the second best friend of Rose and Lissa and spends some of her time teaching Christian, who is her cousin as well, how to do some stuff with fire. Aqua is a dhampir, technically, but she has fangs and can control all 5 elements fully and her genes are made up of 85% Moroi and 15% human and for some reason she has Strigoi speed, strength, and grace. As you can tell, Aqua and Alex are bonded, like Rose and Lissa. I will have a flashback of how it happened in this story, probably in the next chapter. It has to do with the rescue mission in Vampire Academy, as in the first book, when Lissa was kidnapped by Victor. So, yeah. That's it, I guess. Till next chapter, I love you all!**

**Love,  
Ashley**


	2. Not Again

**Heyo! Just wanted to get on this ASAP! So, like, ENJOY!  
Disclaimer: Not gonna say it.  
****Playlist:  
Blah Blah Blah by Ke$ha  
The Man Who Can't Be Moved by The Script  
Here We Go Again by Demi Lovato**

Not Again

**Aqua POV**

"Voda," Dimitri greeted. I could feel my insides shaking and tears try to form in my eyes, but I was too strong for that now that I had my family back. Well, most of my family.

"Dimitri," I greeted back in a monotone, completely void of emotion.

"I see you got the door fixed," he said like he wasn't some undead monster that I was supposed to - and probably would end up doing so - kill.

"Yeah. Not too long ago," I nodded just as casually. I looked at him. "Okay, I'm just going to cut right to the chase. I have to kill you."

"And what makes you think I'll let you?" he asked, Strigoi now instead of the more Dimitri part of him from last night.

"Who said anything about letting me?" I retorted. He charged at me, punching me in the face and catching me off guard. I got knocked on my butt with a slight thump and a yelp.

"Now, Dimka, you don't want Aunt Olena to find you hitting me. Remember what happened when you were ten?" I scolded and rubbed my cheek, trying to get the real Dimitri out that didn't fight back against me. Because he knew all my moves, and we were now equally strong and fast. I was on the urge of panic, but I didn't show it. He growled at me and picked me up by my shirt. I wiggled and tried to unclench his fists, but I just couldn't get down. He was older now and faster and stronger and he taught me everything I know.

"Get. Off. Of. Her," I heard someone growl from behind me. I looked back to see Alex, stake in hand and eyes practically green fire in rage.

"Why do you give a damn?" Dimitri asked him coldly.

"Because I'm her Guardian," he snarled back, knuckles white from clutching the stake so tight. Dimitri, my Dimka that I loved like the brother I never had, threw me across the room and I landed with a thump. It was quite comical. "You really shouldn't have did that." Alex launched at Dimitri and they battled, Dimitri usually getting the upperhand. I jumped Dimitri, catching him by surprise. I put him in a headlock and twisted his neck, breaking it. That wouldn't kill him, just distract him, like staking him in the heart with an uncharmed knife or stake. He froze, and Alex was able to get out of his grip. He was about to stake him when I heard small footsteps on the steps.

"Aunty? What's the noise ab-" True cut off as she saw Dimitri on the floor.

"Baby, go upstairs," I said to her. Damn, why couldn't she be a heavy sleeper like Rose?

"Daddy?" she squeaked. She knew what he looked like, in general, from pictures. Only difference was that he was super pale and had red eyes, instead of tan like hers. Oh, and fangs, of course.

"Pravda! Go up _now_! Get mommy and keep Aunt Lissa safe," I demanded, using her Russian name to get her upstairs. She nodded and ran upstairs.

"I hope he didn't hear that," I mumbled as Rose came running down the steps. By now Dimitri was concious again and I had him in a firm headlock, cutting off all air to his lungs. This wouldn't kill him either, but it would be irritating, like what Mia'd did to the Strigoi, Isaiah, in Spokane. I was sitting on his hands, twisted behind his back. I threatened to break them every time he tried to get me off.

"Roza," he choaked out through his airless tracia.

"Dimitri," she greeted, much like how me and him had done, her Guardian mask firly in place.

"You haven't aged a day," he complimented. I let him talk, but I didn't let off my grip.

"Neither have you," she punned. I stiffled a laugh. He started to fight against my arms again.

"I wouldn't do that, Dimka," I whispered in his ear, using my free arm to put just under enough pressure on his left arm to break it. He hissed in pain and stopped struggling.

"So, let's get this show on the road. Which one of us is staking him?" I was okay with killing him now. The mother fucker had thrown me across the room!

"You," Rose said, tossing her stake to me. It felt weird, but I shrugged it off. I frowned, the realization of what was about to happen setting in, but I swallowed my sorrows and got ready to stake him.

"Sorry, Dimka," I whispered and then drove the stake though his back and into his heart. But the weirdest thing happened: he didn't die. A bright white light exploded around me, filling the whole room. It wasn't a bother to me, but I can't say the same for everyone else. Rose and Alex screamed and covered their eyes. I couldn't feel Alex and I doubted he could feel me. And then it was just... gone. No fade into the darkness, just snapped out like when you turn out the lights. I was suddenly exausted and laid down on Dimitri's back. I'd pulled the stake out after the light had gone out. He was limp, but he was breathing. I climbed off of him and flipped him over. His eyes were open and the second he looked at me, eyes brown again, he started crying, scooting over towards me and laying his head in my lap. My eyes widened as he hugged my waist and cried into my thigh. I smiled and kissed his head, running my hands through his hair.

"Dimka, it's okay. Don't cry, please." He was warm and tanned and everything he was before the attack. The only difference was what he was doing. He was weeping. Dimitri Belikov never weeps. But he'd been a Strigoi, which was probably a scarring experience. As Alex got his sight back, he tried to pull me away from Dimitri, but I pulled my arm out of his grasp and kept on soothing Dimitri, running my hands through his hair and whispering to him that everything would be okay and singing a Russian lulaby that he use to sing to me when I was little and had nightmares, anything I could do to get him to stop crying. We held onto each other and about 20 minutes later, after many attempts by Alex and Rose to get me away from Dimitri, a bunch of Guardians busted in, causing Lissa, Olena, Vikki, Sonya, and Karolina to come downstairs.

"What's going-?" Vikki cut off, seeing Dimitri in my lap. "Dimka?" He said nothing. He hid in my thigh and I kept trying to calm him down. And then the Guardians pulled him off of me. I tried to pull him back but there were too many for me to fight. They took Dimka away. I screamed.

"No! No! NO!" I was throwing a royal hissy fit, jumping up and getting in the Guardians' way at the door.

"Drop the dhampir," I growled.

"He's a Strigoi, Princess," one guy said softly, trying to get me to accept that he wasn't him.

"No he's not! Look at him! Brown eyes, tanned skin! Does that look like a Strigoi? No!" They all looked at me with sympathy and then a few guys moved me out of the way with dificulty.

"Dimitri!" I tried getting free, but the guys had a good hold on me. Dimitri was trying to get to me, struggling against the Guardians' strong hold. I was grateful they didn't stake him, but I was still mad they wouldn't let him go.

"Aqua!" he yelled back, kicking and screaming. There were tears on both of our faces. They shoved him into the back of a truck and I caught a glimse of someone giving him a needle before they closed the doors and drove off. The Guardians still holding me held me until they were around the corner and then let me go. I grabbed two by their collars, the others backing up to steer clear. I pulled them down sharply to my level, baring my fangs.

"Where are they taking him?" I growled.

"We can't tell you that." I shook them and a nasty growl started in my chest.

"_Where are they taking him!"_ I yelled. They looked terrified, which, to humans, would look retarded seeing as they were, like, 6 foot something and I was 4'10", I was in a skirt and heels and they were in black and white guardian suits, and I was skinny and they were all muscles. But everyone in the Moroi world knew I was the most dangerous dhampir around, Dimitri and Rose close behind me.

"They're taking him to Court," one said in a rush. I smiled sweetly and let go of their shirts.

"Good boys. Now run along before I kill someone." They ran to the other car they had and sped off. I walked in, ignoring everyone and going straight to the phone, ordering plane tickets to Court.

"Thank you," I said and hung up.

"What happened?" Lissa yelled at me.

"Well, we're getting 10 plane tickets to Court. They'll be sending us the private jet tomorrow. It costed me-"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"I turned Dimitri back to dhampir somehow but they don't believe me." I pouted.

"What kind of stake did you use?"

"Rose's." Lissa's eye widened.

"That wasn't Rose's. It was mine." Everyone stared at her.

"Where did _you_ get a stake?"

"Well, I found Dimitri's old one and I used it to try and charm it with Spirit. I didn't know what would happen, but I had a feeling it was good."

"You went behind my back and tried to charm a stake?" Rose asked.

"Don't be mad at her. It brought back Dimitri." But that wouldn't mean anything if no one believed it. Which is why I had to go to Court. Alex was looking at me intensely.

"Brain fart?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"The bond... it's not gone, but I can hardly feel you." I tried feeling him, but it was hardly even there.

"I think all the magic I used must have overrided the bond, numbed it. I hope this wears off soon."

"Ditto."

"So, I guess as long as we're up, we might as well get packed for tomorrow, call Chris to tell him to go to Court instead of here."

"Chris? As in Christian Ozera? When did you guys start talking again?"

"Earlier today. Turns out it was a big misunderstanding and they're back together," I said cheerfully.

"Well, that's good. Now we have to go get Dimka and we'll be all happy dandy," Viktoria said sarcastically.

"Oh, haha." I rolled my eyes. "We have a lot to prove first. Like that he's dhampir. And that he's not evil. And that he has no intentions of going back."

"Touche." And so we all went upstairs, packing a weeks worth of clothes for thejourney that could last the rest of our lives, as far as we knew.


End file.
